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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. drill — a practice
  9. face — to confront
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — to bear
  14. drill — army training
  15. net — in sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com